Garnet: January’s Birthstone
5 interesting facts about Garnets
If your partner has a January birthday, there’s no better gift than a glittering piece of garnet jewellery. Garnets are a fascinating gemstone with a rich history. In our guide, we’ll explain the most interesting facts about garnets and recommend our best-selling garnet gifts for January’s birthstone.
They aren’t just red…
When you say “garnet”, most people think of a deep, dark red. However, they don’t just come in red; they come in a wide variety of colours, including green, orange and even purple. Garnets are commonly a deep red, but the most valuable ones are green and can be even more expensive than diamonds.
They’re named after pomegranates
Garnets are named after the fruit pomegranate, as the crystals resemble the small, juicy seeds in the centre of the fruit. The Latin word for pomegranate is “granatum”, which evolved into “garnet”.
Occur naturally everywhere
While glittering and beautiful, garnets are not uncommon. In fact, findings have been recorded across the whole planet, on every continent—including Antarctica! Surprisingly, they’ve also been found in some meteorites, occurring not just on our planet but in space too. Garnets have also been used in jewellery for thousands of years, dating back to the Bronze Age.
Connection to time
Garnets were historically used in early mechanical watches due to their hardness (6.5–7.5 on the Mohs scale) and toughness against friction. Nowadays, garnets play an important role in helping scientists understand the history of our planet, as they were formed millions of years ago under deep pressure.
Most Garnets aren’t used in jewellery
Out of all the garnets on the planet, only a small percentage are of good enough quality to be used in jewellery. So, what happens to the rest of them? Well, low-quality garnets have a number of different uses. They can be used in industrial-strength sandpaper, as garnet properties are hard and abrasive. They also have a natural density and durability that can be used to filter water effectively.
Garnet Jewellery from Shining Diamonds
Emerald Cut Garnet Bezel Set Ring (SKU: SDSR1176GR)
Oval and Round Diamond Garnet Pendant (SKU: SDLMJSP4186GR)
1.45ct Emerald and Round Diamond Garnet Ring (SKU: SDLMJSL8538GAR)
0.70ct Oval Diamond Garnet Bezel Set Ring (SKU: SDLMJSL8359GR)
How can Shining Diamonds help?
Looking for the perfect gift for a January birthday? Look no further than Shining Diamonds. We have a number of gorgeous garnet designs that make the perfect gift or an incredible proposal.
If you’re not sure what to pick, our helpful team is on hand to help you choose. We have stores across the country, in London, Brighton, Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Belfast, Newcastle, Norwich, Southampton, book an appointment with our friendly team today.
